NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- The #10-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies opened their 2016 campaign by sweeping the Worcester State University Lancers, 7-4 and 14-2, in non-conference action Saturday at the New England Baseball Complex.

The Huskies took the opener behind the pitching of senior right-hander Shyler Scates (Jefferson, Maine/Erskine Academy) and rookie southpaw Matt Correale (Peabody, Mass.), and an 11-hit attack that included six doubles.

In the nightcap, the Huskies pounded out 21 hits and erupted for 14 runs from the fifth through the eighth innings. Rookie right-hander Dalton Rice (Waterford, Maine/Oxford Hills) pitched six scoreless innings and combined with four relievers for the victory.

Game One

The Huskies built a 7-1 lead over the first six innings, and then withstood a three-run rally by the Lancers in the seventh to hang on for the win.

Southern Maine picked up single unearned runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the fifth, junior Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) drove in a pair of unearned runs with a single, and later scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Brandon Martins (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor) to make it 5-0.

Junior Josh Creamer (Worcester, Mass./Pentucket Regional) got one run back for the Lancers with an RBI double in fifth.

Seniors Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) and Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) had RBI doubles in the sixth to push the Huskies lead to 7-1.

Scates ran into trouble in the seventh giving up three runs (one earned) before Correale came out to extinguish the rally. Rookie George Bielizna (Danbury, Conn.) opened the frame with a solo home run, and Creamer stroked a two-run double to cut the margin to 7-4. Correale relieved Scates and got the final out of the inning with a strikeout.

Rice and WSU starter Kyle Sullivan (Hudson, Mass.) were hooked up in a scoreless pitchers’ dual until the Huskies broke through in the fifth inning. Junior Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) broke the tie with a two-out RBI single, and Glauser followed with another RBI single to make it 2-0.

After Rice got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth getting two strikeouts, the Huskies erupted for four runs in the bottom half of the frame. Glauser had a two-run single in the rally.

Southern Maine added four more runs in the seventh inning keyed by a two-run single from Dexter and an RBI single from rookie Kyle O’Connor (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English).

After the Lancers got on the board in the top of the eighth, the Huskies scored four more times in the inning. Sophomore Nick Bowie (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) sparked the uprising with a solo home run.

Dexter, McDonough and Glauser led the Huskies attack with three hits apiece. Dexter and Glauser also had three RBI. Rice pitched six scoreless innings allowing four hits and one walk while striking out nine to earn his first collegiate victory.

Sullivan was tagged with the tough-luck loss after pitching five innings allowing one earned run on eight hits. Junior Adam Barry (Auburn, Mass./St. Peter Marian) had a pair of hits, including a double, and scored a run for the Lancers.

Up NextSouthern Maine opens its annual Florida swing with a game against Washington University (Mo.) on Friday. Worcester State will play Rivier at the NEBC Complex on Tuesday.